Personal hopes for 2015

À la Dave Briggs, I didn’t want to make any resolutions this year (like Dave, I feel like making resolutions means failure) but what I did want to do is get down some hopes, aims and aspirations, so here goes;

Write more, share more

I would say I’m going to try and write every day this year, but we all know that’ll last about 3 days and sail off into the distance as a ridiculous pipe dream but one can try. Here’s day 2, so far I’m bang on track. I hope I can write more, share more and do more - all within sensible limits of course.

Buy a house

This is a biggy. Vikki and I have been renting houses for about 6 years now, it’s getting stupid how much money goes into other peoples pockets. Although I’m not typically one for the traditional measures of success, owning a property is something we are working towards - in an ideal world I’d buy land and design the whole thing myself but that’s not on the cards at the minute. Come March, we’ll be moving in with Vikki’s parents to super-save our deposit and buy our very own bricks and mortar. Nervewracking and incredibly exciting in one breath.

Nail my latest design project

Although this is a pretty recent challenge, I’ve been assigned as a design lead for a rather large project including multiple clients, stakeholders and a fairly tight timescale. Design is not something that’s typically given much time in the public sector and we’ve pushed to have the extra resource to do an outstanding job of it. As ever I’m aiming to do a great job but I’d love to use the opportunity to demonstrate how much value good research and design can bring to the success of the project - failing that you’ll find me in a pit of dispair hunting jobs listings within the next few months!

Speak publicly

I’ve wanted to do public speaking / presenting for a while now but I’ve always been fearful of what I’d say. The more opportunities I’ve had to run workshops and do internal pitching and presentations has finally convinced me it’s something I could do. If nothing else this year, I’m aiming to do at least one speaking gig. If you have an open spot, please let me know

Complete my research

In October last year I was awarded the Graham Williamson Research Award by Socitm, this year is my chance to complete that research. I’ve already made a start and I’ll be posting my findings in as many places as I can, I’d really like it if my research ends up being something I’m really proud of, it may not change the world but hopefully sharing what I learn should go some way toward improving the public sector in some way.

The main aim with the research is to build something as a result, whether that’s software, an event or a community I really don’t know but I really want to use this as an opportunity to create something more than some words and opinions.

Hit my fitness goals

I spent 2014 trying to get back to some sort of reasonable state of fitness and lost a stone and a half in the process. Now that I’m stronger and fitter, I’m hoping to give a few more things a go - wakeboarding, a half marathon, get back on my bike more and of course, snowboard as much as I can. The only other goal I have is to lose another 3% body fat. It’s helped my confidence no end and I don’t want to let things slip.

That’s the lot. If I hit even a few of them I’ll be pleased and aiming for something is at the very least, a start.

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